MLW’s Jacob Fatu Is Now A Free Agent

Just as The Bloodline saga has taken yet another turn in WWE, another member of the fabled Anoa’i family has hit the free agent market, as former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu’s contract with the company has come to an end. A tweet from WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi, Fatu’s uncle, raised eyebrows this week, calling Fatu “the baddest talented Indy worker on the scene” and wondering, “Who will sign him?” while tagging the official X accounts of both WWE and AEW.

Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net was then able to confirm Fatu’s contract status, citing independent sources, while also reporting he is still set to appear for MLW in Philadelphia during the company’s tapings tonight, where he will square off against Yuji Nagata. At this point, with The Rock now seemingly set to square off against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, to speculate on just about anyone getting involved in that story as they battle for the claim to “The Head of the Table” is fair, and it would make just as much sense for Fatu, son of Samuel Fatu (The Tonga Kid), to get involved as nearly any other available family member.

In fact, Fatu showed interest in just that as recently as last year. Of course, WWE shouldn’t be his only option, as interest is likely to be significant for “The Samoan Werewolf,” who held the MLW World Heavyweight Championship for more than two years between 2019 and 2021. Fatu is a 12-year pro who already in 2024 has appeared in MLW, GCW, NJPW, and elsewhere, and has been ranked in the PWI 500 each year since 2019, peaking at #20 in 2020 and finishing just outside the top-50 in 2023 at #53.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Report On Why WWE Swapped The Rock In For Cody Rhodes At WrestleMania 2024

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appears to have replaced Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ opponent at WrestleMania 40. Despite being a much-discussed dream match, the timing of the announcement and shunting of Rhodes out of the picture has led to huge backlash from fans, and there’s been some updates on the matter since.

Dave Meltzer wrote on the F4W Forum that it was Rock who pushed super hard to make his match with Reigns happen, and the change came to be when it was clear CM Punk and Brock Lesnar were both off the WrestleMania card. Rhodes was previously planned to challenge Reigns in a rematch of their WrestleMania 39 bout, while Punk was penciled in to face WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, and a Rock-Reigns bout was due to be made further down the line with either next year’s WrestleMania or a potential Saudi Arabia show in mind. Meltzer floated the idea that the change could have been made to divert attention from Vince McMahon’s sex trafficking scandal.

PWInsider later indicated that, per some of their WWE sources, Johnson put himself forward to “save WrestleMania” in the absence of Lesnar and Punk. Yet, still other sources reportedly believe he was going to push for this regardless, given his conditional $30 million stock deal with TKO is contingent on hitting milestones. Such milestones are speculated to have included a return to the ring, and Johnson felt the time was right to do so with the idea that Rock vs. Reigns will be the larger attraction. Therefore, it’s possible that regardless of who won the Royal Rumble it was going to be Rock challenging “The Tribal Chief” in Philadelphia. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Rock Appears To Replace Cody Rhodes As Roman Reigns’ WWE WrestleMania Challenger

Cody Rhodes will not be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 after all. Instead, it appears Reigns will be facing his cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, following the events of “WWE SmackDown.”

“The Tribal Chief” took to the microphone Friday night in anticipation for Rhodes’ WrestleMania opponent announcement. Reigns responded to World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins’ recent plea to Rhodes, and dismissed Rollins’ self-appointed title of “the guy” and Rollin’s complaints regarding Reigns’ schedule, among other things. Reigns finished his rebuttal by claiming that he wasn’t “going to beg” Rhodes for his attention like Rollins did.

Reigns ultimately did not need to beg, as Rhodes made his entrance shortly thereafter. Tensions were high between the two, to the point that Rhodes dismissed Jimmy and Solo. Initially, Rhodes spoke with the implication that Reigns was his WrestleMania choice, and that the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship was not a Hollywood title, as Rollins claimed, but was “the title that was put into [his] father’s hands at Madison Square Garden, and then swiftly taken away”. Rhodes openly pondered if his story would be finished when he dethroned “The Tribal Chief”, or if his story would be finished when he took “everything” from Reigns. All the pieces were nearly aligned for a Rhodes and Reigns WrestleMania rematch.

Then, Rhodes said that he would not dethrone Reigns at WrestleMania. Instead, Rhodes claimed he spoke to a person Reigns knew intimately.

Like clockwork, all of Birmingham was prompted to smell what “The Rock” was cooking, and the recently-appointed TKO executive came strutting down the ramp. Rhodes shared a brief moment with “The Rock” as Johnson pulled him in to whisper something in his ear. Rhodes then took his leave. “The Rock” stared down “The Tribal Chief”, who was holding onto his title just a bit more tightly. “WWE SmackDown” then went off the air, with neither men having said a single word to each other.

While there was no confirmation regarding Reigns’ plans for WrestleMania 40, the general consensus is that he will be facing “The Rock” instead of “The American Nightmare.” Johnson has previously expressed desire to face his cousin at some point, and the idea of a family feud headlining WrestleMania 40 has been lurking in the background of Reigns’ entire Undisputed WWE Universal Championship run. It is to be noted that Johnson never specifically expressed desire for a title opportunity. Rhodes’ cryptic claim that he could dethrone Reigns at a time other than WrestleMania adds into the complexity of the situation. 

In the last moments of the show, WWE promoted a WrestleMania 40 press conference for Thursday evening, February 8.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Collision Preview 2/3/2024

Tonight’s AEW Collision live on TNT from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX

  • Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero
  • Proving Ground Match: Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Keith

WWE NXT Vengeance Day 2/4/2024 (Card)

NXT Vengeance Day – PLE – Sunday, February 4 2024 – on Peacock – from the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee.

CARD

NXT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams

NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez

NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP:
Oba Femi (c) vs. Dragon Lee

NO DQ MATCH:
Dijak vs. Joe Gacy

MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH:
The D’Angelo Family (Tony D’Angelo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Adriana Rizzo) vs. OTM (Bronco Nima, Lucien Price and Jaida Parker, with SCRYPTS)

DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC TOURNAMENT FINALS:
The Wolf Dogs (Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker) vs. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams

AEW Rampage Preview 2/2/2024

Tonight’s AEW Rampage on TNT.

  • AEW Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks & Big Bill vs. Dark Order (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) in a non-title match
  • Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata
  • Mistico, Volador Jr, Mascara Dorada & Hechicero vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Matt Sydal & Christopher Daniels
  • Orange Cassidy & Best Friends promo
  • Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) vs. Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin)

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/2/2024

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from the Legacy Arena at The BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.

  • Fallout from the Royal Rumble
  • Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to appear
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley will select her WrestleMania opponent
  • Men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes to appear
  • WWE United States Champion Logan Paul to appear

According to Pwinsider, Tiffanny Stratton will be at the SmackDown event at the show. However, it is still uncertain whether she will make an on-camera appearance or participate in a dark match.

Trick Williams, along with former NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and two-time NXT Champion Bron Breakker, are all set to be at the show. 

AEW Schedule Reportedly Changed Due To Upcoming Sporting Event

Since its launch in August 2021, “AEW Rampage” has often been taped immediately following “AEW Dynamite” on Wednesday nights, with a few live episodes occurring on Fridays. During that time, not once have “Dynamite” and “Rampage” ever aired live, back to back, something that appears likely to change this March.

Taking to X Thursday morning, Andrew Zarian reported that “Dynamite” and “Rampage” will each air live on March 20. This is due to the upcoming “March Madness” NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which will begin on March 19, and will be aired across CBS and Warner Brother Discovery networks TNT, TBS, and truTV, including games that Friday on March 22, “Rampage’s” usual timeslot.

https://twitter.com/AndrewZarian/status/1753062420665258364

While this is not the first time “Rampage” has been pre-empted due to sports coverage, it will be the first time it has caused the show to air on another night. Previous pre-emptions had seen “Rampage” move timeslots to earlier on Friday, including several times last year when the NHL playoffs aired on TNT. At this time, it remains unclear whether March 20 will be the only time “Rampage” will change days, or if it will do so again a week later, as the NCAA Tournament reaches the Sweet Sixteen.

The March 20 “Rampage” will be part of AEW’s second tour of Canada, with both “Dynamite” and “Rampage” taking place in the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. The Canadian tour is only part of what promises to be a big March for the promotion, which kicks off the month with AEW Revolution on March 3 in Greensboro, North Carolina, a show that will feature the final match in the legendary career of Sting.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW’s Jim Ross Announces He’s Undergone Successful Cancer Surgery

AEW commentator Jim Ross has disclosed that he has successfully undergone cancer surgery on his right hip and thanked everyone for their support.

The WWE Hall of Famer announced on X that the procedure went well.

“Had cancer surgery this morning on my right hip. All went well. Thanks for all your love & support! 🤠💕”

The legendary pro wrestling commentator has had to deal with a few health issues over the last few years. He was previously successfully treated for skin cancer back in 2021, while he suffered a bad fall last year, which gave him a black eye. Ross has also had to deal with a spike in his blood sugar levels and a leg wound which troubled him, especially when traveling. The AEW commentator stepped away from commentary duties last November but made a brief return when the promotion visited Oklahoma. He made his return to the commentary booth on the December 20 edition of “Dynamite,” calling the main event match between Jon Moxley and Jay White. 

In a recent episode of his podcast, he promised to keep fighting and get past the health issues that he has been facing lately. Ross, who joined AEW in 2019, was initially a part of the “AEW Dynamite” commentary team and later joined the “AEW Collision” broadcast team. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Report: Federal Prosecutors Actively Investigating Former WWE Boss Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon, who was last week accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault by former WWE employee Janel Grant, is reportedly being investigated by federal authorities. According to the Wall Street Journal, individuals close to the investigation have revealed that New York prosecutors have spoken with women who have accused the 78-year-old of sexual misconduct. That investigation is said to have been going on in “recent months.” WSJ reached out to WWE about the matter, but the promotion did not respond.

Last summer, federal agents issued a search warrant for McMahon’s phone. They also served a subpoena relating to allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment, and discrimination against past and present WWE employees. WSJ claims that the grand jury subpoena “offers the first window into the investigation, which began in 2022.” It reportedly includes details of alleged hush-money payments made to those who accused McMahon of sexual misconduct, as well as communications between him and his accusers, including Grant.

Grant filed a 67-page lawsuit against McMahon, WWE’s former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, and WWE itself on January 25, just days before the promotion’s Royal Rumble event at St. Petersburg, Florida’s, Tropicana Field. The following day, after one of WWE’s key sponsors Slim Jim paused their involvement with the organization, McMahon tendered his resignation from TKO (WWE’s parent company), where he was a board member and Executive Chairman. Slim Jim has since reactivated its partnership with WWE. Despite resigning, McMahon has denied the allegations and has vowed to clear his name. Meanwhile, Laurinaitis has claimed that he is also a victim in the McMahon case.

Source: Wrestling Inc.